From the Doughboys of World War I to enlisted-turned-officer Mustangs, nicknames have a way of rallying the troops and raising morale — sometimes at the expense of others.
Kevin Corrinet served in the 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, affectionately nicknamed the Patriots. There, he served under a senior officer who they nicknamed Lord Farquaad—the short, conniving villain of the Shreck movies.
“I don’t know what his height is, and like how a fish gets bigger every time the story is told, his height gets smaller every time it’s told – but he was about 5’2” or 5’3,”” Corrinet said. “The first time I met him, I reported to his office. He did the tab check. I remember how far he had to pull me down to look at my shoulder.”
According to the International Journal of Social Science And Human Research, nicknames carry beneficial and adverse socio-cultural impacts.
“The main reason for nicknames’ formation in the English language is the perception of the environment by a person both positively and negatively – socially evaluated,” the research states. “Reflecting the general culture of English society and culture within the individual, in particular, nicknames create socio-cultural symbols and cultural universals, indicating the traditions of people, habits, lifestyles, tastes, and ideas.”
As long as militaries have given ‘real’ names to units, commanders, ranks, jobs, and weapons, troops have given them all nicknames.
Unit nicknames
Many nicknames held by major units in the Army are well-known. The Devil Brigade was given to the Army’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, while the 3rd Infantry Regiment has a widely recognized special designator of The Old Guard. The 82nd Airborne Division is the All-Americans, while the air assaulters of the 101st Airborne Division are known as the Screaming Eagles or Screaming Es. In the special operations world, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, often called the Nighstalkers.
But some of the most awesome unit nicknames of both active and inactive units are in smaller units.
There’s the 39th Infantry Regiment, which goes by AAA-0 — “Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, Bar Nothing.” The unit has racked up four Presidential Unit Citations in campaigns around the world.
Others, like the 5th Psychological Operations Battalion, have the nickname Larry Loudspeakers, while the 305th Psychological Operations Company—perhaps specializing in luring in foreign agents — are the Anglers. The 19th Military Police Battalion has a not-so-surprising nickname of Pacific Justice.
The unit that today is the 504th Infantry Regiment is nicknamed the Devils in Baggy Pants, another one earned in battle and taken from a Nazi officer’s journal after he was defeated in WW II.
As for services themselves, no Air Force member has ever been on a joint mission and not heard of Chair Force, while sailors have legions of derisive nicknames, like swabbies and squids. The Marines have some of the most recognizable nicknames, like Leatherneck. The age-old nickname comes from the leather neck stock that was previously part of military uniforms worn by soldiers and Marines in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, though it is widely owned by the Marines today.
But their most widely recognized nickname of Devil Dog was earned in battle when Marines at Belleau Wood Teufel Hunden assaulted a hill defended by Germans during WW I. Official German reports referred to the Marines as “dogs from hell” because of the gas masks they were wearing as a defense against mustard gas.
The strenuous work of combat while wearing a gas mask led to the Marines developing bloodshot eyes and foaming from the mouth as they advanced on the hilltop. The steep sides of the hill forced the Marines to climb up on all fours at times while their mouth foam seeped from the sides. The nickname has stuck with the Marines to this day.
Kyle Gunn, Task & Purpose’s social media director and resident Marine, explained what the nickname is often used for today.
“Marines will usually hear the nickname Devil Dog on two occasions. One being when they’re about to get yelled at for walking on the grass or something equally ridiculous,” Gunn said. “The other, ironically, as they blast some fake motivation. Leather Neck isn’t used as much as Devil Dog, but when it is used, it is usually, once again, ironically.”
Rank and jobs
Some of the most common nicknames for individuals based on rank or position are probably for first sergeants, who in both the Air Force and Army are held by senior NCOs. You’ll hear troops call their senior enlisted leader First Sausage, Top, and Shirt.
On the officer side, Army and Air Force 2nd Lieutenants can be butter bars, while in the Navy, a commander — particularly a ship’s captain — is the skipper.
Regardless of rank, many jobs have unofficial names. The Army and Marine infantry are often called ‘grunts’ or ‘knuckle draggers.’ Those who aren’t grunts are Persons Other Than Grunts – or POGs.
Within the infantry world, those who are jump qualified via Airborne school refer to those who are not as legs. Another ‘leg’ nickname, less used nowadays but historically, is that of artillery soldiers once known as redlegs, for the distinctive red stripes worn on artillery uniforms from the Civil War era through the outbreak of World War I.
Medics throughout the military are generally called ‘Doc.’ So whether it’s a dig at a soldier or a nickname inspired by one of the many movie quotes that float around the area of operations, nicknames are well-engrained in military culture.
The Navy’s Naval Construction Battalions have a well-known nickname, the Seabees, which comes from the ‘C’ and ‘B’ of the battalions’ acronym turned nickname. In the 75th Ranger Regiment, being assigned to a Fire Support Team makes you a ‘FISTer’ — a great conversation starter almost guaranteed to draw looks of disgust or amusement. Navy SEALs call themselves ‘frogmen.’ Pilots in the Air Force are called ‘fly boys.’
Airborne infantry versus non-airborne infantry is an age-old interservice rivalry. Paratroopers call non-airborne infantry ‘legs.’ This is meant as an insult, though most legs are more than okay not jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.
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Guns, Planes, Ships, and ‘K-pots’
Because of the military’s awful naming system, almost every piece of gear has some sort of abbreviated name or nickname that service members use. Corrinet pointed to the Modular Integrated Communications Helmet, which they called a ‘K-pot.’
Guns and Weapons
Other types of gear, like Flashbangs, are commonly called ‘bangers,’ while another common concussion grenade, officially called a ‘Flash-Bang, Aluminum Body, 9 Bang,’ that releases nine different concussive blasts, is called a ‘nine banger.’
Guns have earned nicknames either through their weight or effectiveness in battle. Corrinet said they referred to their .50 caliber machine gun, which they mounted to their Strykers, as ‘ma deuce.’ He said they also called their helmets ‘K-pots.’ During the Vietnam War, service members carrying the M-60 machine gun called them ‘the pig’ because of how big and heavy it was.
Another common weapon you’ll find in infantry units is shoulder-fired rocket launchers like the 84mm Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle, affectionately referred to as ‘the Gus.’ But it’s not just uniforms, weapons, or service members with nicknames.
Planes
Military aircraft have an assortment of nicknames. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is commonly referred to by crews as the BUFF, which means Big Ugly Fat Fella or with a more explicit final F-word. Another big plane with a big nickname is the C-17, which is officially the Globemaster III but is universally called the moose by crews. The nickname comes from the sound of the plane’s engines, which some have said sound like a moose in heat. Also, it’s big and strong, like a moose, so it’s a fitting nickname either way.
Well-known attack aircraft, like the A-10 Thunderbolt II, is often called warthog or just hog. The nimbler F-16 is officially the Fighting Falcon but is universally called the Viper. The nickname is based on the 1970s Battlestar Galactica TV series and its ‘Colonial Viper’ fighters. Though it’s not identical, the Colonial Viper fighters were depicted in the series in a way that was very similar to the F-16’s capabilities in both flight and aerial combat.
Ships
The Navy’s oldest ship, the USS Constitution, is perhaps its most famous and has the nickname ‘Old Ironsides.’ The crew sunk four different British frigates during the War of 1812, and reports from the battle made it seem like the British couldn’t penetrate the Constitution’s strong oak hull. Visitors can visit the ship today, which is located in Boston, Massachusetts.
Almost as famous is the USS Nimitz, named for Chester William Nimitz, the fleet admiral who oversaw World War II’s Pacific Campaign and is sometimes referred to as Old Chester.
The fast-attack submarine USS Vermont is commonly referred to as ‘Big Sugar’ because of the state of Vermont’s well-known maple syrup.
Tanks
Tank crews have a customary approach to nicknaming their tanks — like the crew that named their tank ‘Come and Take It’ — and they have a long history of protecting and saving infantry in battle. Sherman Tanks in WW II were nicknamed Ronsons based on the lighter company, which had a slogan of “lights every time.” The Sherman Tanks were plagued with catching fire when hit by tank rounds in battle or anti-tank infantry weapons.
However, unlike the Sherman tanks, the modern-day M1 Abrams earned several nicknames based on its unparalleled performance in combat. ‘The Beast,’ ‘Dracula,’ and ‘Whispering Death’ are nicknames born of the M1 Abrams because of its ability to sneak up on enemy formations, its ability to perform at night, and the impressive firepower of the most lethal tank to hit the battlefield.